3rd HACIENDA DEL ALAMO WOMEN'S & GIRLS' FESTIVAL

Charlie Douglass is swinging and singing in the rain with a two-

under par 70 to lead by two strokes from Kelsey MacDonald

English amateur champion Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) made light of untypical Spanish weather for the start of the 36-hole Murcia Ladies Open, the first individual stroke-play event of the 3rd Hacienda del Alamo Women's & Girls Festival at the five-star resort in the Murcia region of south-east Spain.

On a day when the rain in Spain certainly did not stay mainly on the plain - the start was delayed an hour because it was so wet and it continued to rain all day - left-hander Douglass

coped brilliantly with the conditions and the testing Dave Thomas-designed par 72 course.
She shot a two-under-par 70 to lead Stirling University student Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), the Scottish Under-21 champion for the past two years, by two shots.

Douglass had a bogey-bogey start and then bogeyed the par-3 fifth, before bouncing back with birdies on six and nine for a one over 37 on the way out.

The Brocket Hall left-hander, who has enjoyed previous Festival success over the course, then came home in 33 with birdies on 10, 12, 14 & 16, but she was disappointed to three-putt the final hole for bogey when a par would have given her a 69.
Kelsey Macdonald had level par halves of 36 with three bogeys and three birdies going out, and three bogeys, one birdie and an eagle on the par-5 14th on the way home.
Five players named in the preliminary Curtis Cup squad for the June match against the Americans at Essex County Club, near Boston, Massachusetts, are in the field and they fill the first five places after 18 holes.
English girls champion Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) is lying third on 73 with Welsh international Amy Boulden (Maesdu) fourth on 75, a shot ahead of former English champion Hannah Barwood (Knowle).

Young Jess Wilcox (Blankney) is on the 78 mark.

Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham) had a 79 which puts her at the top of the Under-16 years section.

Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) had an 80 - two better than Hayley Davis (Ferndown) and Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted), who is lying second in the Under-16s section.

Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) had an 83 and is in third place in the Under-16s.

Lydia Johnston (Harleyford) is leading the Under-18s with a 91, two shots ahead of Lucie Walker (Ormskirk).

Gillian Gardiner (Fleetwood) is leading the Murcia Seniors Open, which is being decided on Stableford points over two rounds. Gillian, playing off 27 of a handicap, scored 26pts today, one better than Carnoustie Ladies' Sheila Brunton, playing off eight.

Penny Burroughs (Hacienda del Alamo), who has 22 of a handicap, is lying third in the over-50s category with 22 points.

In the children's section, Spain-based Sophie Phillips (El Soto) had a great Stableford score of 33 off a handicap of 28.

Whether they were playing well or not, all the competitors appreciated a free cup of hot chocolate at the turn, organised by Tournament Controller Lee Harrington and Director of Golf Billy Sim.

MURCIA WOMEN'S OPEN - Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort

First round over the Dave Thomas-designed championship course (5,534 metres, Par 72)
70 Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall).
72 Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
73 Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
75 Amy Boulden (Maesdu).
76 Hannah Barwood (Knowle).
78 Jess Wilcox (Blankney),
80 Daisy Dyer (Chigwell).
82 Hayley Davis (Ferndown).
84 Mary MacLaren (Wellingborough).
86 Jenna Birch (Royal Lytham).
88 Megan MacLaren (Wellingborough).
90 Shauna Brady (Co Sligo).
100 Shula McCarthy (Clonmel).
103 Ana Wright (Hacienda del Alamo).
118 Gina Sim (Hacienda del Alamo).

UNDER-18s: First Round

91 Lydia Johnston (Harleyford).

93 Lucie Walker (Ormskirk).

95 Holly Robinson (Co Sligo).

UNDER-16s: First Round

79 Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham).

82 Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted).

83 Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer).

85 Emma Harris (Peel).

88 Megan MacLaren (Wellingborough).

89 Dulcie Sverdloff (Thorpe Hall).

90 Nicola Callander (Mill Green).

93 Katherine Carragher (John O'Gaunt).

95 Charlotte Humphries (Burnham & Berrow), Amelia Taylor (St Annes Old Links).

97 Ella Ofstedahl (Mill Green).

SENIORS (Stableford): First Round
26 Gillian Gardiner (Fleetwood) (27).
25 Sheila Brunton (Carnoustie Ladies) (8).
22 Penny Burroughs (Hacienda del Alamo) (22).
20 Marilynn Pearce (Hacienda del Alamo) (19).
16 Linda Marr (Fleetwood) (26).
7 Audrey Lee (Fleetwood) (21).

5 Linda Wilson (Ashton & Lea) (32).

CHILDREN (Stableford): First Round
33 Sophie Phillips (El Soto, Spain) (28).
9 Rebecca MacLaren (Wellingborough) (36).